Most UP cops saddled with obsolete .303 rifles

At a time when criminals and terrorists are using state-of-the-art weapons, UP cops are finding themselves at a disadvantage as most of them are still forced to use the obsolete .303 rifles. The .303 rifle has been considered obsolete for nearly 20 years and yet many UP cops are using the rifle. According to estimates, nearly half of the UP cops are using the .303 rifles. This was revealed in a report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The report was applicable for the year ending March 31, 2016. “Point-303 bore rifles had been declared obsolete more than 20 years ago in February 1995 but about 48 per cent of the police force in the state are still using it,” the report said.

The report was titled Performance Audit of Modernization and Strengthening of Police Forces and it was recently presented in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. The government’s auditor has stated that there were around 1.22 lakh rifles being used by UP police and out of these, 58,853 rifles were of point-303 category. The UP government has accepted the findings of the report and has said that it will be replacing all .303 rifles with Insas rifles. It said that the replacement will be completed in five years.